Project of a new system of arithmetic, weight, measure, and coins,
proposed to be called the tonal system, with sixteen to the base. By
J. W. Mystrom.[314] Philadelphia, 1862, 8vo.
That is to say, sixteen is to take the place of ten, and to be written 10.
The whole language is to be changed; every man of us is to be
sixteen-stringed Jack and every woman sixteen-stringed Jill. Our old _one_,
_two_, _three_, up to sixteen, are to be (_Noll_ going for nothing, which
will please those who dislike the memory of _Old Noll_) replaced by An, De,
Ti, Go, Su, By, Ra, Me, Ni, Ko, Hu, Vy, La, Po, Fy, Ton; and then Ton-an,
Ton-de, etc. for 17, 18, etc. The number which in the system has the symbol
28(13)5(11)7(14)0(15)
(using our present compounds instead of new types) is to be pronounced
Detam-memill-lasan-suton-hubong-ramill-posanfy.
The year is to have sixteen months, and here they are:
Anuary, Debrian, Timander, Gostus,
Suvenary, Bylian, Ratamber, Mesudius,
Nictoary, Kolumbian, Husamber, Vyctorius,
Lamboary, Polian, Fylander, Tonborius.
Surely An-month, De-month, etc. would do as well. Probably the wants of
poetry were considered. But what are we to do with our old poets? For
example--
"It was a night of lovely June,
High rose in cloudless blue the moon."